Did Google use illegal methods to maintain its dominance of the search engine market? That is the question at the heart of the largest antitrust trial to take place in America for 25 years, as the Department of Justice’s complaint against Google goes to trial. “This case is about the future of the internet and whether Google will ever face meaningful competition,” said US prosecutor Kenneth Dintzer during his opening statement. The government claims Google pays more than $10 billion every year to protect its market dominance – it controls about 89 per cent of the search engine market. If Google loses the ten-week trial, another will be held to decide possible consequences, including banning Google from paying other companies to make it the default search browser. Google says it simply provides a superior product. It’s the latest in a series of regulations aimed at reigning in Big Tech – the EU’s Digital Markets Act will compel tech firms to make it easier for companies to compete on their platforms.
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